A large, charismatic black butterfly often seen in home gardens. The upper wing surface is black with two rows of yellow spots – these spots are large and bright in males and smaller and lighter in females. Females have a prominent blue area between these two rows, this area in males is much less prominent. Adult females are typically larger than males. Young larvae are mostly black and white with a saddle, and older larvae are green with black transverse bands containing yellow spots.
Larvae feed primarily on plants of the carrot family including Dill, Parsley, Fennel, Carrot, and Celery in gardens, and Queen-Anne's-Lace, Poison Hemlock, and Lovage in the wild. Adults forage for Nectar from flowers including red clover, milkweed, and thistles.
Black Swallowtails thermoregulate by positioning their body and wings toward the sun. The black swallowtail is protandrous, meaning males emerge before females.
Adults help pollinate plants and larvae are food for birds and other animals
Least Concern
